The EU-funded ICON project will address the growing demand for smarter communication networks by integrating sensing into the very architecture of optical networks. The ultimate aim is to transform terrestrial and subsea fiber infrastructure into a global sensing network capable of detecting geological disturbances, monitoring weather and ocean phenomena, and improving urban mobility. By combining fiber sensing with an intelligent control system, ICON will enhance transmission performance, optimize energy efficiency and enable the management of diverse sensing services. This innovative approach will revolutionize the future of communication systems, providing context-aware services that extend beyond conventional signal monitoring.

VPIphotonics focuses on developing novel models and simulation techniques to address the envisioned fiber sensing applications and on simulating joint communication and sensing systems. Furthermore, we will contribute to digital twin modeling and feasibility studies, supporting the demonstration activities.

Leading industrial enterprises (VPIphotonics, Adtran, Tampnet AS, LightSenseAI) and renowned universities and research institutes (Trinity College Dublin, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cyprus R&I Center, Brno University of Technology, Tallinn University of Technology, Technical University of Denmark) comprise the consortium.

QSNP is a European Quantum Flagship project that aims to develop quantum cryptography technology to secure the transmission of information over the internet.

QSNP will contribute to the European sovereignty in quantum technology for cybersecurity protecting the privacy and the sensitive information of European citizens transmitted over the internet.

Aspects of cyber security, quantum theory and the system hardware are combined in an innovative data post-processing for the QKD, thus enabling highly secure keys and higher transmission rates.

The aim of the project "Post-Processing for Quantum Key Distribution with Continuous and Discrete Variables (QuNET+ProQuake)" is to develop software for data post-processing for QKD. Such software is necessary for secure QKD, because every key distribution at the recipient generates measurement data that can only be used as a secret key after complex post-processing. In the course of the project, the researchers want to implement this data post-processing at the software and hardware level, taking into account various relevant QKD protocols. With the help of the QKD post-processing platform to be developed, the project team will examine physical, information-theoretical and implementation-specific security aspects in detail. Thus, the security of future highly secure quantum communication infrastructures is guaranteed from the start.

The planned development of the QKD post-processing platform goes far beyond the state of the art and will enable higher key rates to be achieved. At the same time, the new process promises greater security. In addition, the solution is compatible with existing and future QKD components. The research work is therefore also of great relevance for the QuNET initiative, because the researchers can use the technology to implement new key experiments and further develop existing QKD systems. The participation of the industrial partners in the project promotes the spread of quantum-based communication systems in Germany and Europe. The project thus contributes to strengthening Germany's technological sovereignty in quantum communication technologies at an early stage and in the long term.

First European Lithium Niobate on Insulator PIC Platform

The ELENA project promises to benefit the entire photonics sector by developing the first European lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI)-based platform for photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and establishing the first open-access foundry service for LNOI technology. LNOI is a novel electro-optic and nonlinear PIC platform. It offers enhanced performance and new functionalities for ultra-high-speed telecom networks, optical signal processing, programmable PICs, sensing and spectroscopy, LIDAR applications, quantum information processing and quantum computing. ELENA is a collaborative Research and Innovation Action funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme.
More details in the Project's Press Release!

The AI-Net umbrella project is an effort to Accelerate the digital transformation in Europe by Intelligent Network automation at each network segment, i.e. edge, metro, core and data centers. Complete network automation is a clear pre-requisite for the efficient use of highly integrated and flexible edge infrastructures which are programable across all its components, from basic connectivity setup to fully virtualized network functions and application components.
AI-Net will explore a number of use cases spanning the technology challenges of services being deployed and operated at the network edge, in order to distil the various scenarios and deployments of each use case, and thereby the technical requirements as well as the values. It will research and develop technologies specific for an edge infrastructure, which is characterized by a large number of edge locations, heterogeneous hardware and site configurations, resource constrained compute environments, a mix of base technologies for virtualization platforms and transport networks, and finally supporting critical services in customized network slices.
The primary focus of the AI-NET-PROTECT (Providing Resilient & secure networks – Operating on Trusted Equipment – to Critical infrastructures), sub-project of AI-Net, is to provide automated resilience and secure networks operated on trusted equipment to critical infrastructures and enterprises. AI-NET-PROTECT will ensure the protection of critical data, network performance (like latency, throughput, availability), and infrastructure (against tampering and attacks). To achieve these objectives, the project will develop a scalable network and node architecture to address the diverse KPIs by a mix of open and purpose build hardware and software including white boxes. Network telemetry and intent-based software-defined network management and control will provide zero-touch provisioning and support artificial intelligence based automation of end-to-end services. Strong security based on multi-layer cryptography, agile crypt-functions, and quantum-safe algorithms will form an integral part for the developed architecture. The key use cases for AI are performance optimization, proactive fault and anomaly detection, penetration and vulnerability testing, and security incident management.

PlasmoniAC is a 3-year long H2020 research project aiming to release a whole new class of energy- and size-efficient feed-forward and recurrent artificial plasmonic neurons with up to 100 GHz clock frequencies and 1 and 6 orders of magnitude better energy- and footprint-efficiencies, comparing to the current electronics-based state-of-the art. It adopts the best-in-class material and technology platforms for optimizing computational power, size and energy at every of its constituent functions, harnessing the proven high-bandwidth and low-loss credentials of photonic interconnects together with the nm-size memory function of memristor nanoelectronics, bridging them by introducing plasmonics as the ideal technology for offering photonic-level bandwidths and electronic-level footprint computations within ultra-low energy consumption envelopes. In a holistic hardware/software co-design approach, PlasmoniAC will follow the path from technology development to addressing real application needs by developing a new set of DL training models and algorithms and embedding its new technology into ready-to-use software libraries.

The project WON is a doctoral-level training network funded by the European Commission under Horizon2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie ITN Action.
Solutions identified within WON will enable full exploitation of the total capacity of optical fibres to sustain efficiently the Internet traffic growth and to overcome a possible traffic-crunch. A special focus of the research is dedicated to developing novel digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms to increase the overall system performance. WON provides cost effective and realistic solutions to current bandwidth saturation, which is progressively impairing already deployed networks.
WON goal is to train a new generation of research engineers is being achieved thanks to a doctoral level training network that will benefit from challenging interactions between industry and academia.

VPIphotonics' core technical contribution to the project will be in work package "Component and System Specifications and Requirements". The team will participate in formulating the project's use-cases, network requirements and performance indicators, defining the system and component specifications, as well as take an active role in the development of the TRx DSP algorithms that are central to the QAMeleon's technological objectives. VPI leads a task where system and component modeling and simulation takes place. The work that will be carried out here will constitute the first verification of the project's proposed system concepts. Heavy interaction with work packages related to components fabrication will take place to aid the design and development cycle, and ensure that performance targets are met. Furthermore, VPI will also actively support the experimental verification effort, contributing with researchers, as well as its commercial lab automation software (VPIlabExpert), in the laboratory and field trial validations of the developed technology.
More details in our Press Release!

OptiCON is a new R&D project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). OptiCON aims to considerably boost the capacity of optical metro and core networks. In particular, OptiCON's goals include expansion of mobile applications at and beyond 5G, leveraging unused optical spectrum and developing new fiber types, novel transmission schemes, and advanced monitoring and SDN control.
VPIphotonics participates in OptiCON with a team of engineers by developing new modeling and design concepts addressing broadband optical networks and resources used therein to considerably enhance the network capacity. This work comprises tasks such as the optimization of the potential of current multiband transmission systems by using comprehensive simulation and modeling approaches. New fiber models will be integrated into the simulation environment to allow an extensive verification of their merits towards the project goals. Furthermore, VPIphotonics will actively participate in the development and test of novel DSP routines, and in the implementation and verification of algorithms for offline and online optical network planning of multiband transmission systems and systems based on new fiber types.
More details in our Press Release!

VPIphotonics teams up with Coriant and academic partners in the framework of the Celtic-Plus project SENDATE-FICUS. The purpose of this project is the development of new technologies enabling the transition from today's networks to robust, efficient, secure and re-configurable converged communication networks.

VPIphotonics partners with European research and industry on the ICT project MIRTHE. The FP7 project targets new multilevel-modulation all-monolithic integrated TX and RX Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) able to achieve 100-400 Gb/s aggregated speed on a single wavelength. The joint work is performed by an international consortium of six partners (III-V Lab, FhG-HHI, u2t, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs, Universidad de Malaga) possessing solid background and the know-how in the optical communications field.

VPIphotonics teams up with ADVA, Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute and academic partners in the framework of the Celtic-Plus project SASER-ADVAntage-Net. The purpose of this project is the development of new technologies enabling the roll-out of secure and flexible optical networks.

VPIphotonics partners with research and industry in the EIBONE (Efficient Integrated Backbone) project. The goal of the project (cofinanced by the German Ministry for Research and Development) is to define the standards for robust and efficient Next-Generation Networks (NGN). The partners in Eibone are T-Systems, Alcatel, Lucent, Siemens, Marconi, CoreOptics, FhG-HHI, Adaptiv, u2t, universities and others.

VPIphotonics teams up with several partners from research and industry in the BERLIN-ACCESS project. The goal of the project (cofinanced by the Zukunftsfonds Berlin) is to develop cost-effective architecure and component solutions for fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks. The consortium partners are FhG-HHI, FOC, MergeOptics, Elbau, Berliner Glas, and AVM.